If in the first post-COVID summer, traveling became very expensive for the whole world due to the sharp increase in demand, then for Russians it was not only expensive, but also difficult due to sanctions. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Especially if you have a passion for travel.
We tell you how to behave in a new time to find yourself in Europe or another place you love, going through all the stages of accepting the inevitable and being constantly nervous to no longer travel.
how to get visa
Schengen, British, American visas are still available. But this process has become more expensive, and most importantly, many times slower, because there are too few representatives left in the embassies and consulates of countries in Russia, and they are not able to process documents of a large flow of documents as quickly as before. applicants.
Schengen
In general, tourist Schengen visas are currently only issued by Italy, France, Greece, Spain, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Portugal and Finland. However, due to the influx of applicants, finding a vacant place to register at the visa application center can be quite difficult. Bots for this have already appeared, including paid ones. Agents and concierge services also have the opportunity to catch the closest slots that suddenly appear – this is, of course, also a service for money.
But the situation is constantly changing, and therefore the main rule is to watch what is happening right now. Everything is easily controlled: if you go to the website of any visa center from the above countries, you can see when the next visa application opportunity is available. For example, the closest time frame to apply for an Italy visa (information as of 5 August) is 19 October. But in Germany – on August 8th.
The processing time for documents already sent is between 5 days and 2-3 weeks on average, depending on the country and conditions.
It is also important to understand that currently most visa centers issue a visa for one trip or for a short period of up to six months. Of course, those who already hold a Schengen visa are more likely to get a long-term multiple visa. The most loyal countries for applicants to Moscow are Spain and France, they issue visas for 1-2-3 years. Petersburg – for Finland. Germans can also issue long-term visas, but in this case it is important to enter Germany for the first time: everything is strict in their documents.
By the way, if you’re not burning to go to Europe right now, most likely with the end of the tourist season from September, the hype will subside and you can get a visa much faster.
Recommendation: if you want to comprehensively review the current visa situation for a particular country, go to the appropriate thread on the AWD forum – the information is updated daily there.
British visa
If you want to go to London, be patient. First you need to capture the slot for service. And after submitting the documents – wait 3-4 months until the documents are ready! You won’t be tormented by thoughts about how long they’ll give you a visa (you pay six months – they give you six months, you pay two years – you’ll have a visa for two years), but you will. have to wait.
By the way, in this case, it is better to have a second passport so that you can travel abroad while waiting for a visa (according to the law, every resident of Russia can have two passports at once).
american visa
Russians get the most from Europe (currently Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, Montenegro), as it is impossible to get a visa to the USA in Russia. For this, you also need a Schengen visa, respectively. You also need to find a free slot in a particular country. It is almost impossible to do this on your own, so the most effective way is to contact a specialist agency or concierge service. By deadlines: some countries have deadlines for an interview in the fall.
Other countries
Russians can fly visa-free to Serbia, Montenegro, Thailand, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, UAE, Maldives, Egypt with an electronic visa – to India, Kenya and Mexico (here is the electronic permit), a visa with a national visa or an open Schengen – to Cyprus and Croatia.
how to fly
Flying has become complex and expensive, and new options are constantly being sought. The fastest and most convenient way It’s still a flight over Turkey, mainly Turkish Airlines, to reach Europe, the UK or the USA. That’s why the prices of all flights over Istanbul skyrocketed, especially in August, when the holidays are the busiest.
Another very fast way to reach Europe is via Belgrade. But in addition to the price, Air Serbia has another unpleasant feature: they consistently sell more tickets than the number of seats on all their flights. Therefore, the risk of not flying on the scheduled day is quite high (especially from St. Petersburg). And in this case, buying a ticket to the next destination (for example, Rome) is completely risky.
Of course, you can fly via Dubai, Cairo or Tashkent, but this is rather inconvenient.
But with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in Europe in July, an alternative emerged: crossing the border on foot.
Options:
– From Moscow by train (11-15 hours) or from St. Take the bus from St. Petersburg to Ivangorod. There, cross the Estonian border on foot and then take a taxi to Narva. That’s it, you’re in the European Union. You can then travel by low-cost airline or by train anywhere in Europe.
– to Minsk (plane, train), from there – by transfer (bus, taxi) to Kaunas airport (Lithuania, 6 hours). And you already have the whole world in front of you!
this maybe most cost-effective way Reach Europe and UK now, though not the fastest.
With which cards and where can I pay abroad?
Cash time has returned to the Russians: if it is possible to get dollars and euros in cash, this is an ideal option for traveling to any country.
Otherwise, we now have five options.
Map “Mir”. It is accepted in Turkey, Vietnam, Belarus, Armenia, Abkhazia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Cyprus, UAE and South Korea. Everywhere there are very different conditions: you can pay with it in stores, as in Armenia, and somewhere like in Cyprus you can simply go to a branch of RCB Bank Ltd and withdraw cash.
Again, it is necessary to examine the conditions in each country in detail. Why – We will show the example of Turkey, one of the most popular destinations for Russians. With the Mir card you can theoretically pay in stores here, but payment may or may not be made. And it’s impossible to predict what will happen next. For this reason, withdrawing Turkish Lira in cash from an ATM (Ziraat Bank, Halk Bank, Deniz Bank) is the most reliable method. But this is always a question of the profitability of the course and the availability of a commission. For example, Tinkoff gives money with a commission of 90 rubles. for operation, but there is a good exchange rate. It’s best to check the terms and fees with your bank. One of the most profitable rates on the Turkish side is at Halk Bank.
Another Turkish feature: The exchange rate outside the working hours of the bank (that is, after 17:00 on weekdays and all weekends) is worse than during working hours. Therefore, it is more profitable to withdraw money from ATMs on weekdays.
Payment system “Zolotaya Corona”. This is an opportunity to get the dollar and euro, not the local currency. It works very simply: you need to install the app and transfer money through it. The bank to which you transfer money takes commission, but within 3%. You can withdraw money at the issuance points (usually this is the post office).
In total, this method can transfer money to 14 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Vietnam, Greece, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Moldova, Turkey, Uzbekistan.
Cryptocurrency. This is one of the few guaranteed methods for transferring money to Europe. But at the same time, it is important to understand crypto so as not to encounter scammers.
People living locally (in the same Europe) who need rubles. In difficult times, the most valuable resource is people. Those living abroad often need rubles – for example, to send them to relatives in Russia. They also have problems with money transfer. That’s why we can help each other: you give rubles and they give you euros in return.
The main thing in this case is to be sure of the credibility of the person you plan to trade with. Best if it’s someone you know.
Bank card of another country. Flying on vacation and also getting the coveted Visa or Mastercard that works outside of Russia is also an option. But, again, study the conditions in advance.
Until now, Belarusian cards work in many countries. For a Russian, getting a card in Georgia, Turkey is now quite easy – luckily. Think about where you are going in the near future and whether it is possible to make a card there, and the cost of it.
Payment for flights of foreign airlines with Russian cards
For example, you want to buy a ticket for a flight from Kaunas to Paris. Despite the fact that these are foreign airlines and do not pay with Russian cards on their website, some Russian services offer similar tickets (for example, RyanAir) – look for options on Yandex.Travel, Tinkoff Travel, OneTwoTrip.
In general, the two main rules of traveling in modern times are to closely monitor the current situation and double-check any information from at least two different sources. And then everything will be fine!
Source: People Talk
